Sweet Assurance

Sweet Suffering

Illustration:

The smell of Hamilton SDA Church. Do you notice it? I do. You walk in, and there is that distinct church scent. What makes it smell the way it does? The carpet? The bricks? The stained timber pews. If one of these ingredients were missing, well it would cease to smell like Hamilton Church. What does that scent mean to you? What does it bring to your mind? Thwandie and Alma’s warm welcoming smiles? The melodies that rise from the piano as Janina plays? Sabbath School discussions and uplifting prayer meetings? How does it make you feel? The sense of smell is a powerful sense. When you smell something, the fragrance hits the olfactory, which is directly connected to the lymbic system through the brain. This makes it essentially the most powerful sense in connection with memory. For example, if you ride an old four stroke motorbike past me, it will sling my memory very quickly back to my Dad’s property where my brothers and I would ride motorbikes as young boys. I distinctly remember the sound of the compression coming from the engine every time one of us would attempt to kick-start the 20 year old engines. We’d race through the tracks, with the wind rushing through our dirty old board shorts, nicking our bear arms with the lantana that grew everywhere the eye could see. We would park them out the front of his veranda when it came time to eat, often home-made bread from the farmer’s market with peanut butter and pure honey from Dad’s bees. These are the vivid depictions, mingled with fond emotions that come racing to my mind when a particular mixture of oil, fuel and air come through my nostrils. The sense of smell is powerful. God knows that - he created us with that sense of smell.

Righteousness

Sweet Assurance

2 Kings 20:5 NKJV

“Return and tell Hezekiah the leader of My people, ‘Thus says the Lord, the God of David your father: “I have heard your prayer, I have seen your tears; surely I will heal you. On the third day you shall go up to the house of the Lord.

Sweet Assurance

2 kings

The Altar of Incense

And knowing how powerful he made it, He decided to use it as a tool in His Sanctuary - The place which represented His Dwelling in the camp of His people the Israelites. In the first room of His tabernacle there was something called the altar of incense.

Illustration:

The smell of Hamilton SDA Church. Did you notice it when you walked in? I did. What makes it smell the way it does? The carpet? The bricks? The stained timber pews. If one of these ingredients were missing, well it would cease to smell like the Hamilton Church you all know so well. What does that scent mean to you? What does it bring to your mind? Thwandie and Alma’s warm welcoming smiles? The melodies that rise from the piano as Janina plays? Sabbath School discussions and uplifting prayer meetings? How does it make you feel? The sense of smell is a powerful sense. When you smell something, the fragrance hits the olfactory, which is directly connected to the lymbic system through the brain. This makes it essentially the most powerful sense in connection with memory. For example, if you ride an old four stroke motorbike past me, it will sling my memory very quickly back to my Dad’s property where my brothers and I would ride motorbikes as young boys. I distinctly remember the sound of the compression coming from the engine every time one of us would attempt to kick-start the 20 year old bikes. We’d race through the tracks, with the wind rushing through our dirty old board shorts, nicking our bear arms with the lantana that grew everywhere the eye could see. We would park them out the front of his veranda when it came time to eat, often home-made bread from the farmer’s market with peanut butter and pure honey from Dad’s bees. These are the vivid depictions, mingled with fond emotions that come racing to my mind when a particular mixture of oil, fuel and air come through my nostrils. The sense of smell is powerful. God knows that - he created us with that sense of smell.

The smell of Hamilton SDA Church. Did you notice it when you walked in? I did. What makes it smell the way it does? The carpet? The bricks? The stained timber pews. If one of these ingredients were missing, well it would cease to smell like the Hamilton Church you all know so well. What does that scent mean to you? What does it bring to your mind? Thwandie and Alma’s warm welcoming smiles? The melodies that rise from the piano as Janina plays? Sabbath School discussions and uplifting prayer meetings? How does it make you feel? The sense of smell is a powerful sense. When you smell something, the fragrance hits the olfactory, which is directly connected to the lymbic system through the brain. This makes it essentially the most powerful sense in connection with memory. For example, if you ride an old four stroke motorbike past me, it will sling my memory very quickly back to my Dad’s property where my brothers and I would ride motorbikes as young boys. I distinctly remember the sound of the compression coming from the engine every time one of us would attempt to kick-start the 20 year old bikes. We’d race through the tracks, with the wind rushing through our dirty old board shorts, nicking our bear arms with the lantana that grew everywhere the eye could see. We would park them next to the veranda when it came time to eat, often home-made bread from the farmer’s market with peanut butter and pure honey from Dad’s bees. These are the vivid depictions, mingled with fond emotions that come racing to my mind when a particular mixture of oil, fuel and air come through my nostrils. The sense of smell is powerful. God knows that - he created us with that sense of smell.

The Altar of Incense

And knowing how powerful he made it, He decided to use it as a tool in His Sanctuary - The place which represented His Dwelling in the camp of His people the Israelites. But before we talk about how He used it, let’s look at what would happen in the Sanctuary daily. When someone had sinned unintentionally, they would confess their sins onto the lamb, symbolically transferring the record of their sin onto the lamb and then carried in it’s blood. The sin was then symbolically carried into the sanctuary in the blood and sprinkled before the veil and put on the horns of the altar of incense. What do you think would happen as that blood builds up in that place? It would start to stink, right? Sin stinks, in fact God relates it to putrifying and infectuous sores. Picture the most horrific thing you have ever smelt, that doesn’t even come close to what sin is like to God.

And knowing how powerful he made it, He decided to use it as a tool in His Sanctuary - The place which represented His Dwelling in the camp of His people the Israelites. But before we talk about how He used it, let’s look at what would happen in the Sanctuary daily. When someone had sinned unintentionally, they would confess their sins onto the lamb, symbolically transferring the record of their sin onto the lamb and then carried in it’s blood. The sin was then symbolically carried into the sanctuary in the blood and sprinkled before the veil and put on the horns of the altar of incense. What do you think would happen as that blood builds up in that place? It would start to stink, right? Sin stinks, in fact God relates it to putrifying and infectuous sores. Picture the most horrific thing you have ever smelt, that is what sin is to God.

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Isaiah 59:1 NKJV

Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, That it cannot save; Nor His ear heavy, That it cannot hear.

Isaiah 59:1 NKJV

Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, That it cannot save; Nor His ear heavy, That it cannot hear.

Isaiah 59:2 NKJV

But your iniquities have separated you from your God; And your sins have hidden His face from you, So that He will not hear.

Isaiah 59:2 NKJV

But your iniquities have separated you from your God; And your sins have hidden His face from you, So that He will not hear.

Sin is a stench because it is degrading and distructive at every degree. It is the opposite of love and the opposite of life. God hates sin because it reminds Him of what it does to us - separates us from Him. According to these verses, left alone in our sin is there any hope for our prayers being listened to by God? The plain answer is no. According to the law, we are guilty and deserving of death. The Bible says that not one of us is righteous. It says that our righteousness - what we deem as good and pure is like filthy rags. Left alone, we are without hope. Our prayers may arise, but they are not heard. That is when they are left alone. Left alone that blood marked with our sins would be a stench to all those around. But was it the stench of that blood that would arise from that tabernacle to permeate the Dwelling place of the living God? Thankfully He had something put in place that would overpower and subdue the odour of sin and death.

In the first room of His tabernacle there was something called the altar of incense, where there was a unique mixture of spices prepared as incense especially for the Sanctuary.

Exodus 30:34 NKJV

And the Lord said to Moses: “Take sweet spices, stacte and onycha and galbanum, and pure frankincense with these sweet spices; there shall be equal amounts of each.

God was very specific in His instructions for the sanctuary, giving precise measurements of various things But what do you think was the reason He was so specific with the mixture of spices to be burned as incense? This was to be the scent which represented His house, and if one ingredient were to be taken away, it would no longer have that distinct aroma. God takes it very seriously, in fact in verse 37-38… God didn’t want this scent to be attached to anything else. He desired for it to be linked only to what He had it planned for. What do you think God wanted to remind them of when they smelled the smoke of the incense permeating the centre of the camp? Do you think it was a reminder to pray? The Bible does say that incense represents the prayers of God’s people () So yes the Incense was attached to prayer. To remember to carry out the action of praying? Or is there more to it than that? There is in fact more to it. Just like the smell of church reminds us of much more than the simple act of attending; it floods our memories with the meaning and significance behind this place - of the people, the love, the learning, the growing. Similarly then, we can assume that there was more attached to the sweet aroma of incense offered in the Sanctuary than just the act of praying. The Altar of Incense has some very poignant, very important things to teach us about prayer and how it applies to us as sinners. But at the centre of it all, is assurance that our prayers are heard in Christ.

God was very specific in His instructions for the sanctuary, giving precise measurements of various things But what do you think was the reason He was so specific with the mixture of spices to be burned as incense? This was to be the scent which represented His house, and if one ingredient were to be taken away, it would no longer have that distinct aroma. God takes it very seriously, in fact in verse 37-38… He didn’t want this scent to be attached to anything else. He desired for it to be linked only to what He had it planned for. What do you think God wanted to remind them of when they smelled the smoke of the incense filling the centre of the camp? Do you think it was a reminder to pray? The Bible does say that incense represents the prayers of God’s people () So yes the Incense was attached to prayer. To remember to carry out the action of praying? Or is there more to it than that? There is in fact more to it. Just like the smell of church reminds us of much more than the simple act of attending; it floods our memories with the meaning and significance behind this place - of the people, the love, the learning, the growing. Similarly then, we can assume that there was more attached to the sweet aroma of incense offered in the Sanctuary than just the act of praying. The Altar of Incense has some very poignant, very important things to teach us about prayer and how it applies to us as sinners.

Sacrifice

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Exodus 30:7 NKJV

“Aaron shall burn on it sweet incense every morning; when he tends the lamps, he shall burn incense on it.

Exodus 30:8 NKJV

And when Aaron lights the lamps at twilight, he shall burn incense on it, a perpetual incense before the Lord throughout your generations.

At the same times every morning, and at twilight the incense was replenished. By the way, is the same time every day significant? It’s a pattern, which reenforces and strengthens the brain connections. What else happened twice per day, at those same times?

At the same times every morning, and at twilight the incense was replenished. By the way, is the same time every day significant? It’s a pattern, which reenforces and strengthens the brain connections.

()

Luke 1:10 NKJV

And the whole multitude of the people was praying outside at the hour of incense.

The replenishing of coals and incense was carried out at the same time as the sacrifice. Why do you think that at the same time as the hour of prayer and the burning incense, the morning sacrifice was carried out?

This was a time of prayer, where the people would gather together around the temple and pray. God could have just left the stench of the blood to remind them of their sin to bring guilt and shame on them as they came to Him to pray. But that isn not what the people would smell. Instead the sweet supply of incense would rise to call the weary sinners to commune with their loving God. That sweet welcoming aroma gave His people assurance that they were invited to freely come and spend time with Him.

Same time, morning and twilight. What else happened twice per day, at those same times?

God wanted His people to be assured that He was willing to hear their prayers and answer. What gave them this assurance was that sacrifice. It reminded them that though they had sinned, God would provide an atoning sacrifice to make the way of forgiveness and life to be given us. Who’s sacrifice is it that gives us assurance that God hears our prayers? Is it ours? Christ’s sacrifice is THE sacrifice that made the way for our sin to be forgiven that we might come to God in faith. Not only this, but it is Christ’s sacrifice that gives us assurance that our prayers are given power.

Exodus 29:38–39 NKJV

“Now this is what you shall offer on the altar: two lambs of the first year, day by day continually. One lamb you shall offer in the morning, and the other lamb you shall offer at twilight.

The replenishing of coals and incense was carried out at the same time as the sacrifice. Why do you think that at the same time as the hour of prayer and the burning incense, the morning sacrifice was carried out?

Where did the priest place the blood of the sacrifice? The horns What do horns represent? In general they represent Power. So what is God trying to remind His people of here? What gives power to prayer? The blood of Jesus - His righteous sacrifice for us. We must recognise that if it were not for Christ’s sacrifice, praying would be futile, because the bible says that without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sins - no cancellation of our debt. It’s like coming to someone who you are in great debt to, and rather than seeking to pay any of that debt, you ask to be given more money.

So, Christ’s sacrifice gives us confidence that we are heard when we claim His blood in repentance of sin.

God wanted His people to be assured that He was willing to hear their prayers and answer. What gave them this assurance was that sacrifice. It reminded them that though they had sinned, God would provide an atoning sacrifice to make the way of forgiveness and life to be given us, opening the channels of communication that were blocked by sin. Who’s sacrifice is it that gives us assurance that God hears our prayers? Is it ours? Christ’s sacrifice is THE sacrifice that made the way for our sin to be forgiven that we might come to God in faith. Not only this, but it is Christ’s sacrifice that gives us assurance that our prayers are given power.

Intercession

Leviticus 4:7 NKJV

And the priest shall put some of the blood on the horns of the altar of sweet incense before the Lord, which is in the tabernacle of meeting; and he shall pour the remaining blood of the bull at the base of the altar of the burnt offering, which is at the door of the tabernacle of meeting.

Here is a question: Did Christ’s work for our salvation end at the cross?

Where did the priest place the blood of the sacrifice? The horns What do horns represent? In general they represent Power. So what is God trying to remind His people of here? What gives power to prayer? The blood of Jesus - His righteous sacrifice for us. We must recognise that if it were not for Christ’s sacrifice, praying would be futile, because the bible says that without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sins - no cancellation of our debt. It’s like coming to someone who you are in great debt to, and rather than seeking to pay any of that debt, you ask to be given more money.

So, Christ’s sacrifice gives us confidence that we are heard when we claim His blood in repentance of sin.

Hebrews 7:25 NKJV

Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.

Intercession

If you’re interceding for someone, where are you in relation to them and the other? In between, right? That’s exactly where the Altar was, placed before the veil, between the sinner and our Holy and pure God. So first He had to suffer, now He intercedes. You might ask Why? Isn’t the debt of our sin already paid? Are we now suddenly perfect and sinless? Are we not still sinners, guilty according to the law, in need of Christ’s work in our lives? And so we, who are impure cannot come into the presence of God without an intercessor. We need an intercessor until sin has been dealt with and eraticated from our lives - that is the work of Christ in us for a lifetime. Sin has caused a rift between us and God - it has placed us naturally in discord with Him and His love, whether we are aware of it or not. How can we come into His presence in that state and live? The answer is, we can’t. We need our great high priest, who alone is pure, to reconcile us with God, and present our prayers to Him on our behalf.

Here is a question: Did Christ’s work for our salvation end at the cross?

How often was the incense burned? It said continually. It was replenished every morning and evening, but kept burning continually. What would have happened if that incense stopped burning? The stench of the blood would be uncovered. If Christ were to cease His intercession for us right now, our sinful state would not be covered by His righteous merit before God, and we would yet again be left alone and without hope! Yet we can be assured, that as that incense rose continually, so Christ is continually interceding on our behalf before God. And just so we’re not confused, let’s remind ourselves what God desires here.

Hebrews 7:25 NKJV

Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.

If you’re interceding for someone, where are you in relation to them and the other? In between, right? That’s exactly where the Altar was, placed before the veil, between the sinner and our Holy and pure God. So first He had to suffer, now He intercedes - He appeals for us. You might ask Why? Isn’t the debt of our sin already paid?

“The prayer and praise and confession of God’s people ascend as sacrifices to the heavenly sanctuary. But they ascend not in spotless purity. Passing through the corrupt channels of humanity, they are so defiled that unless purified by the righteousness of the great High Priest, they are not acceptable by God.

…

(1986). The Youth’s Instructor, 645.

Are we now suddenly perfect and sinless? Are we not still sinners, guilty according to the law, in need of Christ’s work in our lives? So then we, who are impure cannot come into the presence of God without an intercessor. We need an intercessor until sin has been dealt with and eraticated from our lives - that is the work of Christ in us for a lifetime, if we would allow it. Sin has caused a rift between us and God - it has placed us naturally in discord with Him and His love, whether we are aware of it or not. How can we come into His presence in that state and live? The answer is, we can’t. We need our great high priest, who alone is pure, to reconcile us with God, and present our prayers to Him on our behalf.

Exodus 30:7 NKJV

“Aaron shall burn on it sweet incense every morning; when he tends the lamps, he shall burn incense on it.

How often was the incense burned? It said continually. It was replenished every morning and evening, but kept burning continually. What would have happened if that incense stopped burning? That stench of the blood would be uncovered, wouldn’t it? If Christ were to cease His intercession for us right now, our sinful state would not be covered by His righteous merit before God, and we would yet again be left alone and without hope! Yet we can be assured, that as that incense rose continually, so Christ is continually interceding on our behalf before God. It says He ever lives to intercede for us; to plead for our lives. And who’s desires does the Bible say He is carrying out in doing so?

Romans 8:27 NKJV

Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God.

It is God’s will that Christ should plead for us! It was His plan all along.

In fact, it says that God was in Christ, reconciling the world to Himself. It was His plan to be made one of us, because He couldn’t bear the thought of losing us. We know that the sanctuary lays out this plan. But did you know that frankincense does, too? Frankincense is one of the fragrances God appointed to be used for the incense of prayer. This was no accident. Frankincense comes from something called a Boswellia tree. They tend to often grow in harsh environments, where it isn’t likely that plant life would grow out of and flourish - growing in dry, often rocky soil, gravel, and sometimes even growing out of solid rock. Where is it that Jesus grew up? “Can any good thing come out of Nazareth?”

Isaiah 53:1–2 NKJV

Who has believed our report? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? For He shall grow up before Him as a tender plant, And as a root out of dry ground. He has no form or comeliness; And when we see Him, There is no beauty that we should desire Him.

It is true that righteousness grew and flourished in Christ, even as He grew as a root out of dry ground - in a world of sin and wickedness. No beauty that we should desire Him Here is a Boswellia tree. Not the most beautiful tree you’ve ever seen, right? Yet it yields a very valuable and useful substance. Frankincense was once considered more valuable than gold, because it only grew in specific parts of Arabia. It was rare. And the process to harvest it is very interesting. They cut incisions into the flesh of the tree in order to create a wound. They would do this several times to get the desired result of the frankincense resin seeping from the wounds. You know what this process is called? Striping.

Isaiah 53:4–5 NKJV

Surely He has borne our griefs And carried our sorrows; Yet we esteemed Him stricken, Smitten by God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed.

By His stripes, by His wounds we are healed. God is speaking to us here, saying “This was my plan all along - to suffer for you, and for your healing.”

Frankincense is known to have many healing properties Anti-inflamitory can help boost immune system function and lower stress It can even help alleviate oral and digestive health problems. The resin is left to dry and harden, and these hard pieces of resin are appropriately called tears. “Surely He has borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows.” But there’s one more thing! This process of wounding would happen throughout the season, and each time it was done, the tree would yield a more potent substance than the time before, with the final cuts poducing the most rich and fragrant resin. Jesus didn’t only endure suffering and hardship leading up to the cross. Throughout His whole life, sin cut the son of God.

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Isaiah 53:11 NKJV

He shall see the labor of His soul, and be satisfied. By His knowledge My righteous Servant shall justify many, For He shall bear their iniquities.

Isaiah 53:12 NKJV

Therefore I will divide Him a portion with the great, And He shall divide the spoil with the strong, Because He poured out His soul unto death, And He was numbered with the transgressors, And He bore the sin of many, And made intercession for the transgressors.

The more He suffered, the farther He carried our sins, the more disctinct and rich and potent Jesus’ righteousness would become to those who would choose to accept it.

And this is what is offered up to God in our behalf…

It is His righteousness that is accepted and granted to us on His behalf. It is only when our prayers are offered up and mingled with His righteousness, His goodness, that we can be assured that they are heard.

Yet how often do we pray and forget all this! We forget that it is only by His sacrifice, only by His work of pleading on our behalf, and only by His love and purity that our prayers are heard!

The Youth’s Instructor April 16, 1903: Our Great High Priest

The prayer and praise and confession of God’s people ascend as sacrifices to the heavenly sanctuary. But they ascend not in spotless purity. Passing through the corrupt channels of humanity, they are so defiled that unless purified by the righteousness of the great High Priest, they are not acceptable by God. Christ gathers into the censer the prayers, the praise, and the sacrifices of his people, and with these he puts the merits of his spotless righteousness. Then, perfumed with the incense of Christ’s propitiation, our prayers, wholly and entirely acceptable, rise before God, and gracious answers are returned.

Offering up our prayers alone, according to our merits, we are hopeless. So let us cling to the assurance God has provided for us in the sacrifice and intercession of Jesus Christ. May we breath it in deeply as a sweet aroma, calling us into communion with our abundantly loving, gracious heavenly father.

Appeal

Perhaps you have come here feeling that you are not heard by God. Is there sin in your life causing you to feel rejected by Him? Jesus says come. He has made the way. And you can lay your sins at His feet, confident that He will forgive you. Perhaps you felt that God just isn’t interested in hearing your prayers because you’re unworthy. Know that Christ is worthy, and His righteousness covers you.

Let’s remember from here on when we pray